William m



(No Model.)

W. M. THOMAS.

, ELECTRIC OUT-OUT.

No. 291,958. Patented Jan. 15, 1884.

F iy J V WITNESSES INVENTOR- %;a a, mum-mm. Thomas By 72 s .dttorneg sn. PETERS. Pam-m my Washinglan. 11c

tisirrijn States WILLIAM H. THOMAS, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGLLX,ASSIGKOR- OF ONE HALF TO THE GRAXD RAPIDS ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POXYERFOMPAXY,

OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC CUT OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,958, dated January15, 1884.

Application filed October 12,1583. (X0 model.)

To ail 2.0700722 may concern.-

Be it known that I, VILLIAM M. Trioimis, of Grand Rapids, in the countyof Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and usefulAutomatic Out-0ut for Electric Lighting and other Electric Circuits, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention consists of an apparatus to be used in connection withelectric light and other electric circuits which enter buildings andother structures, for the purpose of protecting the buildings, &c., frominjury which might occur from contact or close proximity of the prime orproper conductor with other conductorssuch as gas-pipes, iron columns,telegraph and telephone wires-which are common in buildings.

Accidental contacts with conductors about buildings will produce whatare known as short-circuits and ground-connections, and sometimes resultin setting tire to buildings, either by the electricity normally in thecircuit or by lightning during a storm, be cause gaspipes and otherelectrical conductor's are not properly insulated from the combustibleportions of buildings.

It is the object of my invention to prevent accidents due to thediversion of electric currents from their proper course, and thereby notonly secure the safety of buildings, but prevent lamps from being cutoutof circuit and extinguished and prevent injury to electric generators.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a part of an electrical apparatusthrough which a circuit of conductors passes, and in which my inventionis exhibited; and Fig. 2 shows amovable sliding core and a stationarycore within a hollow magnetic spool detached from the apparatus, thewhole, when the spool is wound with insulated wire, as shown in Fig. l,constituting an electro-magnet.

a indicates an electric conductor, which may be supposed to come fromany suitable source of electrical supply and pass through, by suitableelectric connect-ions, the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. It is continued ata, whence it may be su )posed to )ass into a buildin throu h 1 l o o alamp or lamps, and out again to Z), thence back through the apparatusillustrated in Fig. l to Z), whence it may be continued on, and finallycomplete the circuit by ground-eonneetion or otherwise.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 maybe supposed to be outside of abuilding, and consists of devices adapted to cut the circuit out of thebuilding whenever an accidental contact or connection is made with anyconductor in the building.

0 indicates any suitable support or bed-plate for the apparatus,which,in general terms, consists of an eleetro-magnet and appurtenances placedin the circuit outside of a building, the helix of which magnet iscomposed of two wires wound parallel and in the same direction, one ofthese wires forming the conductor through which the current enters thebuilding and the other the conductor through which it leaves thebuilding.

A indicates the bindingpost, which receives the positive line-wire, andthrough which the current passes, as indicated by dotted lines,to aspring, B, which makes contact with a metallic plate, 0, thence througha flexible conductor, D, to one of the coils of the helix 1 theuce,asindicated by dotted lines, to a post, G, and to binding-post F;theneepassing into a building, it may be supposed the conductor returnsto the binding-post F, thence, as indicated by dotted lines, to thesecond wire of the helix, thence through flexible conductor D to plate 0and spring B, thence, as indicated by dotted lines, to binding-post A.

H indicates a sliding core within the electromagnet, which is secured atits outer end to the plates 0 G,whieh constitute the terminals of theloop-circuit, and which are normally clamped by the springs 13 l3,whichconstitute the terminals of the main circuit. The ends of the springsare preferably slightly flared, so that the plates may be readilyinserted be tween them. hen the plates are clamped by the springs, thesliding core is partially withdrawn from the clectroanaguei', indicatedin the drawings.

I indicates a fixed core, beneath which is a spring-armature, K,connected with the binding-post G.

L indicates an electrical conductor connected with the fixed core I, andjoiningthe main circuit at M, and which is normally inactive.

It is well known that a hollow electro-magnet may be operated to drawinto it a core or sliding armature, and it is therefore not necessary todescribe this operation or the conditions and principles upon which itdepends in detail.

It is obvious, also, that other forms of armatures may be employed; butI prefer that shown.

In view of common knowledge of electricians upon this matter, it issufficient to say, the plates 0 and Obeing insulated from each other andfrom the sliding core II, that in the apparatus illustrated in thedrawings, if the regular current passes normally upon the properconductors through the loop into the build ing and out again to the mainline, the cores H and I will remain normal or undisturbed and separated,as indicated in Fig. 3; but should the current be diverted from the loopby a ground or other connection, which would disturb the magneticequilibrium of cores II and I, it would produce a contact between core Iand armature and post G,which would divert the current from orshort-circuit the loop in thebuildin This would direct the currentthrough the post G and the armature to core I, thence out throughbinding-post A to the main line, making it travel through only one ofthe coils of the helix, thus disturbing the equilibrium of the two coresand producing a high magnetic effect. Meanwhile the sliding core Hwoul ddescend and withdraw the plates O G from the clasp of the springs B B,when a circuit would be completed through the springs by contact oftheir lower ends direct to the bindingpost A, and thus the loop, runningto a given building where a disturbance might occur, would be cut out,and the balance ofthe series of lamps and thecontinuity of the circuitwould be undisturbed.

Any of the lamps in a loop may be turned on or off, and any number oflamps maybe added or removed without disturbing the action of my cut-outor its equilibrium.

I do not confine myself to the exactdetails of construction andarrangementof parts herein described and illustrated, because the prin'ciple of my invention will admit of considerable variation in thesematters.

I am aware that a combination of a main circuit, aloop,and an automaticcut-out in the loop is-not new; and I do not claim such combination,broadly, my invention being limited to an organization in which meansare provided for short circuiting and cutting out the loop automaticallyonly when the current in the loop is grounded or otherwise diverted fromthe loop.

I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. The combination of the main circuit, the loop-circuit, and meansbrought into operation by the diversion of the current from the loop toautomatically cut out the loop-circuit, sub stantial] y as set forth.

2. The combination of the main circuit, the loop-eircuit,and meansbrought into operation by the diversion of the current from the loop toautomatically short-circuit the loop-circuit, substantially as setforth. a

The combination of the main circuit, the loop-circuit, and means broughtinto operation by the diversion of the current from the loop toautomatically both short-circuit and cut out the loop-circuit,substantially as set forth.

at. The combination of the main circuit, the loop-circuit, the terminalsof the two circuits, which are normally electrically connected, andmeans, substantially such as described, brought into operation by thediversion ofthe current from the loop,for automatically breaking theconnection between the two circuits. whenever the current is grounded orotherwise diverted in the loop, thereby cutting out the loop, and at thesame time permitting the terminals of the main line to come together, soas to continue the main circuit, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the main circuit, the loop-circuit,the terminalsof the two circuits, which are normally electrically connected,theelectro-ma-gnet, the coils of which are included in the loop-circuit,and which are so disposed that the current which passes throughthecoils;

does not normally energize the magnet, but which does energize themagnet whenever the, current in the loop is grounded or otherwisediverted, and the armature of the magnet to.

which the terminals of the loop-circuitare.a t

tached, so that when the magnet is energized by reason of a shortcircuit or ground-connection in the loop it will attract its armature,thereby breaking the connection betweenthe terminals of the two circuitsand cutting out the loop, substantially as set forth.

6. The herein-described electrical cut-out apparatus, consisting of thecombination ofthe bed-plate, the terminal springs, the terminal platesnormally clamped between the; terminal springs, the electro-magnet, thecoils of which are wound as described, the armature, the flexibleconductors which connect'the coils of the eleetro-magnet with theterminal plates, the binding-posts, and the conductors which lead fromone set of bindingposts to.

the terminal springs and from another set: of

bindingposts to the coils of the electromagnet, substantially as setforth.

7. The herein-described electrical cutout.

clamped between the terminal springs, the;

clectro-magnet, the cores of which are wound as described, the armature,the flexible condnctors that connect the coils of the electromagnet withthe terminal. plates, the fixed core of the magnet, its armature,thebinding-posts,

5 and the conductors for electrically connecting the terminal springswith one set of bindingposts and the coils of the electro-magnet withanother set of binding-posts, the condnctorfor connecting one of thebinding-posts with the IO fixed core of the magnet, and the conductorfor connecting the armature oi the fixed core to another of thebinding-posts, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed niy name this 8th day ofOctober, A. l 5' D. 1883.

KY. 31. THOMAS.

XVitnesses:

WILLIAM Cox, W. F. CHANDLER.

